Unwanted Intrusive Thoughts

[MalDevn]

Hi

I am having major problems with Unwanted Intrusive Thoughts and have benn battling anxiety for 3 years, I've started getting confused as I have started to think the thoughts are memories - which I really deep down know they are not but I feel so exhausted and constantly battle them - I know this is wrong and you shouldn't battle the thoughts but I am having problems not questioning if the 'intrusive thought' is real and then start questioning it and looking back in my memory to see if its real which then give the intrusive thought more 'power'!

So very tiring!!!

Sorry for the rant..... just wondering could anyone help with any techniques that they have found to be effective in dealing with Unwanted Intrusive Thoughts?

[Steni]

Please don’t worry , I have no other advice to give except that I do know that a great deal of help can be achieved with the correct SSRI. This will pass.

[designguy]

The most helpful thing i've found for intrusive thoughts is learning that anxiety is truly a paradox - the more you resist it the more it persists and the same thing goes for intrusive thoughts. So the answer is to let yourself have them they are normal and everyone has them. The average person has over 6000 thoughts a day. Also as humans the majority of them are negative because we make judgements about everything and the ones with the most emotional charges are the negative ones because they have the biggest impact on our ability to survive. I started practicing simple mindfulness to be able to just sit and let the thoughts come in and flow out of my mind and not react to them. Think of them as clouds or images on a TV without the sound on, it takes time and is not a quick fix but it works. When my intrusive thoughts were at their worst I would force myself to think of them and the worst that could happen, I even got to the point of making fun of them. Thoughts have no power it's our attachment to them that gives them power.

[Hidden]

Hello MalDevn hope you are having a better day today. I think high volume music or audiobook is a great way to block out all the noise in your head. I also believe in positive affirmation meditation is helpful which can be found on YouTube. Jason Stephenson has a great channel with soothing speeches and music. Hopefully this helps and slows down your mind a bit. One last thing, I heard this saying the other day which really helped me “you are not your past, and you are not your thoughts.”

[flaxxy703]

if you don't feed an obsessive thought it will die of inanition.

[flaxxy703]

when an intruding thought enters into your brain you don't have entertain them

[Babe1213]

Take your life back. For every negative turn to positive. It might be helpful if you can find someone who will explore those thoughts with you objectively. Stress/anxiety is suffered by everyone at one time or other. It is learning to deal with it. Find something to take your mind away from what is holding you. Go for a walk, read something, take up a hobby. stop feeling sorry for yourself. Seek out some self help groups in your area.